Dear Editor,

Hurricane Irene was a challenging storm which created a myriad of problems in Florham Park!   Over the course of this storm there were many issues that needed to be dealt with.  Many homes lost power and sustained flooding, roads were flooded and closed, trees and electrical wires were downed to name a few.  Our Community Center sustained damage as well as various Recreation fields in the Borough Complex.  It will take some time to repair these areas.  Although we sustained some damage, some of our neighboring communities had more serious issues, such as days of power loss and extreme flooding.  We wish them the best and a quick recovery.

Although we are a small community, I was extremely proud of all levels of individuals involved in maintaining the safety, health and well being of our citizens during this emergency. I was particularly proud of our first responders and the preparedness of our OEM Team.  I would like to thank OEM Coordinator Captain Robert Treiber, Captain Frank Yannuzzi and Deputy Coordinators Mike Cannilla, Mike Sgaramella, Steve Jones, Frank Esposito and Carl Ganger as well as Fire Chief Jon Young and Jo-Anna Finegan and her crew from the Florham Park First Aid Squad.     Also, our Department of Public Works was on the job as usual and worked tirelessly throughout the night to cut up trees, contain flooding and minimize damage to the Borough.    Our Water and Sewer Utility divisions continually monitored the pumping stations and main treatment facilities to protect the health of our residents. I am extremely pleased at the dedication of all individuals involved in this crisis and am proud that our command center was well organized and the operations were unified. We received many briefings and updates from the County and State OEM as well as the Governor's Office throughout the crises and our local OEM did a stellar job in communicating this information to local officials.

Our Fire Department was also extremely busy!  They pumped out approximately 60 basements in residential homes and 25 stand-by volunteers remained at both firehouses during this emergency to ensure prompt response times.  In addition to the pump-outs, the Fire Department also responded to a very high level of emergency calls. The First Aid Squad also manned their headquarters to ensure quick response times for any calls received.  Again, these individuals are all volunteers who take time away from their families to ensure the well being of our residents.  For this, I thank them all.

I am so proud of this community and the way it pulls together in any time of emergency or need.  This is what I love about Florham Park! The people that make this community so special and the dedication and compassion people have for one another was especially evident during this crisis situation.   In addition to the exemplary job performed by our Borough Employees and Volunteer Services, I noticed something else while driving around town.   I witnessed many instances of neighbors helping neighbors.  This was wonderful to see and reinforced my belief as to the fine caliber of our residents.  Although Irene was challenging, our Community was up to the challenge.   I consider myself extremely lucky to live in such a strong community and my sincere hope is that all residents are doing well after this storm.  Best of luck to you all for a happy and healthy remainder of the year.

Sincerely,

 

R. Scott Eveland, Mayor